[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"& But I told him maybe you didn't want your affairs talked about, the school
and all, or the children's affairs, their parents or anything, so he never
said a word about it."
Thank you, Mrs. Gates," said Peter in heartfelt relief. "It is true that we do
not wish a premature revelation of our plans. Only those most concerned should
know about it. We hope to give as little publicity as possible to the school
and its pupils. It is not good for children to live in the spotlight." I'm
babbling, he told himself, and stopped.
"Well, I told Ralph it's for you to say what you want told, not us. He has a
friend in the police department and a friend on a newspaper here. They got in
touch with the Oakland chief of police and the superintendent of schools, and
asked about you and that other doctor and the teacher you mentioned, and about
the Davis people, too. They got night letters and phone calls all day
yesterday, your description and your photograph even; I believe they said
somebody might be posing as you here and asked if you were here. I hope you
don't mind all this, Dr. Welles, but we had to be sure."
"Certainly you had to be sure. I hope now I can use you as a reference when I
contact guardians of other children."
"Ralph said to tell you," continued Mrs. Gates, "that if you'd rather take her
when you go, and board her with Miss Page, that would save her taking the trip
alone so far. We can pay her fare and the board bill, and her board at the
school too, if she can have her tuition and books free like you said. It seems
awful sudden to me, but Ralph said you spoke as if you might like it that way.
She can come straight home to us if she doesn't like it there. I wouldn't have
it any other way."
"Certainly. And she shall write to you faithfully. But how does Stella feel
about all this?"
"The child is wild to go. She keeps saying you're sent to her, whatever she
means by that. Of course, she may change her mind again for all I know. She
shan't be sent away from here unless she likes. Now, I'll call her; or was
there anything else you want to say to me?"
"Only to ask that you allow her to be alone with me for the tests. They are
partly psychological, and "
"I understand that. A child's always distracted if people stand around and
watch. What are the tests for? To show she's up to her grade in school?"
"Yes, and to find out where her chief interests and abilities lie, and how
well balanced she is, and things of that sort."
Page 47
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"She's up to her grade all right, and in some ways beyond; but she doesn't
take a real interest in her studies. She's quick, though, and she has a
wonderful memory. There now, she's coming. Come in, Stella. Now you be a good
girl, and do what Dr. Welles says, and I'll be in the laundry room if you want
me, or the back yard."
As soon as her aunt had gone, Stella sat down opposite Dr. Welles and asked,
"You were sent to me, weren't you?"
"Well, I'm here," said Peter. "I think that is enough for now." Oddly enough,
this seemed to satisfy Stella, even to please her. But when the first pages of
the Army Alpha test were set before her, Stella waved it away. "Puzzles and
games like that bore me," she said. "Have you ever taken a test like this at
school?" They gave us one once. I couldn't be bothered with it just then."
"The hard parts do take effort," said Dr. Welles.
Stella stared at him.
"What hard parts?" she asked.
"What did you do with the test at school?" asked the psychiatrist. "Push it
away like this?"
"Oh, no. You can't do things like that at school. I put down answers to some
of it. But really I was writing a poem, so I couldn't take time to bother with
puzzles just then. I have to write poems when I'm in the mood."
Peter took a deep breath and counted ten.
"Are you writing a poem now?"
"No," said the child, her eyes wide.
"If you want to be in my school you must pass my tests," he said.
"But& I thought you knew," and the girl looked alarmed.
"I do know," said Peter. "I know a great deal more about you than you think I
do. But we must have some proof."
"Then it isn't because I'm an orphan and somebody wants to be kind to orphans
like me. I thought I was right about that," said Stella. "It's something else
you want to prove about me. How my parents died is only an excuse."
This speech, confused though it sounded, brought hope to the doctor again. For
the first time in this extraordinary interview, Peter felt able to talk
frankly to her.
"You have, I believe, a very superior intelligence," he told her. "That is [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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"& But I told him maybe you didn't want your affairs talked about, the school
and all, or the children's affairs, their parents or anything, so he never
said a word about it."
Thank you, Mrs. Gates," said Peter in heartfelt relief. "It is true that we do
not wish a premature revelation of our plans. Only those most concerned should
know about it. We hope to give as little publicity as possible to the school
and its pupils. It is not good for children to live in the spotlight." I'm
babbling, he told himself, and stopped.
"Well, I told Ralph it's for you to say what you want told, not us. He has a
friend in the police department and a friend on a newspaper here. They got in
touch with the Oakland chief of police and the superintendent of schools, and
asked about you and that other doctor and the teacher you mentioned, and about
the Davis people, too. They got night letters and phone calls all day
yesterday, your description and your photograph even; I believe they said
somebody might be posing as you here and asked if you were here. I hope you
don't mind all this, Dr. Welles, but we had to be sure."
"Certainly you had to be sure. I hope now I can use you as a reference when I
contact guardians of other children."
"Ralph said to tell you," continued Mrs. Gates, "that if you'd rather take her
when you go, and board her with Miss Page, that would save her taking the trip
alone so far. We can pay her fare and the board bill, and her board at the
school too, if she can have her tuition and books free like you said. It seems
awful sudden to me, but Ralph said you spoke as if you might like it that way.
She can come straight home to us if she doesn't like it there. I wouldn't have
it any other way."
"Certainly. And she shall write to you faithfully. But how does Stella feel
about all this?"
"The child is wild to go. She keeps saying you're sent to her, whatever she
means by that. Of course, she may change her mind again for all I know. She
shan't be sent away from here unless she likes. Now, I'll call her; or was
there anything else you want to say to me?"
"Only to ask that you allow her to be alone with me for the tests. They are
partly psychological, and "
"I understand that. A child's always distracted if people stand around and
watch. What are the tests for? To show she's up to her grade in school?"
"Yes, and to find out where her chief interests and abilities lie, and how
well balanced she is, and things of that sort."
Page 47
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"She's up to her grade all right, and in some ways beyond; but she doesn't
take a real interest in her studies. She's quick, though, and she has a
wonderful memory. There now, she's coming. Come in, Stella. Now you be a good
girl, and do what Dr. Welles says, and I'll be in the laundry room if you want
me, or the back yard."
As soon as her aunt had gone, Stella sat down opposite Dr. Welles and asked,
"You were sent to me, weren't you?"
"Well, I'm here," said Peter. "I think that is enough for now." Oddly enough,
this seemed to satisfy Stella, even to please her. But when the first pages of
the Army Alpha test were set before her, Stella waved it away. "Puzzles and
games like that bore me," she said. "Have you ever taken a test like this at
school?" They gave us one once. I couldn't be bothered with it just then."
"The hard parts do take effort," said Dr. Welles.
Stella stared at him.
"What hard parts?" she asked.
"What did you do with the test at school?" asked the psychiatrist. "Push it
away like this?"
"Oh, no. You can't do things like that at school. I put down answers to some
of it. But really I was writing a poem, so I couldn't take time to bother with
puzzles just then. I have to write poems when I'm in the mood."
Peter took a deep breath and counted ten.
"Are you writing a poem now?"
"No," said the child, her eyes wide.
"If you want to be in my school you must pass my tests," he said.
"But& I thought you knew," and the girl looked alarmed.
"I do know," said Peter. "I know a great deal more about you than you think I
do. But we must have some proof."
"Then it isn't because I'm an orphan and somebody wants to be kind to orphans
like me. I thought I was right about that," said Stella. "It's something else
you want to prove about me. How my parents died is only an excuse."
This speech, confused though it sounded, brought hope to the doctor again. For
the first time in this extraordinary interview, Peter felt able to talk
frankly to her.
"You have, I believe, a very superior intelligence," he told her. "That is [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]